In Oslo, the capital of Norway, representatives from the Institute are discussing with the international community the conservation and management of tropical forests, as well as global instruments for the protection of biodiversity.
On the 25th and 26th of last month, the Oslo Forum on Tropical Forests The Tropical Forest Forum (OTFF), a biennial event promoted by the Norwegian Agency for Cooperation (Norad) for the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI), brought together a broad and diverse group of participants to discuss actions to protect tropical forests: representatives from governments, civil society, indigenous peoples, and the private sector.
“Many of the topics covered at the OTFF have a direct relevance to the projects that ISPN carries out on indigenous lands in Maranhão through the Indigenous Peoples Program. It is inspiring to learn about examples and experiences from other countries and how new approaches and technologies are being applied to the management of territories,” highlighted ISPN advisor and agroforestry specialist, Robert Miller.
Other activities promoted by Norad continued this Thursday (27), such as the meeting with representatives of civil society organizations and political articulations. Participating for ISPN are Robert Miller, representing the Indigenous Landscapes project, funded by Norad, and the coordinator of public policies and advocacy, Guilherme Eidt, representing the Observatory of Sociobiodiversity Economies (ÓSocioBio).
During the first two days of the event, ministers from tropical countries where NICFI develops projects (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Peru, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) discussed together, and with other participants, various initiatives, programs, and mechanisms to curb deforestation in tropical forests and promote sustainable economic alternatives.
COP 16
Among the topics discussed in Oslo, preparations for COP 16 – the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – which will be held in October of this year in Cali, Colombia, were highlighted. During COP 15 in 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework for Biological Diversity was approved, a new agreement with four objectives and 23 targets for controlling biodiversity loss worldwide by 2030. The president of COP 16, Susana Muhamad, who is also the Minister of the Environment of Colombia, was also present at the Forum.
ÓSocioBio works on monitoring and proposing the development of a new National Strategy and Action Plans for Biodiversity (EPANB), the Brazilian public policy aligned with the goals of the new Global Framework, of which Brazil is a signatory, and which recognizes "the important roles and contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities as guardians of biological diversity and their participation in its restoration, conservation and sustainable use".
Climate issues
The consensus was that indigenous peoples have a fundamental role in the conservation of tropical forests, but this requires guaranteeing their rights, especially territorial rights, as well as giving them greater protagonism in accessing and governing financial resources allocated to forest protection and conservation initiatives.
Another point of consensus within the OTFF is that the goals of the COP on biodiversity need to be closely aligned with the goals of the COP on climate. The path to the COP on Climate in Brazil – which will be held in Belém do Pará in 2025 – was extensively debated, highlighting the importance of achieving technological advancements in deforestation monitoring, combating environmental crime, and ensuring the traceability of agricultural commodities, as well as expanding funding for the conservation and protection of indigenous territories and traditional peoples and communities.